The Ten Essential ielts vocabulary

Will this book help me with the Reading and Listening IELTS tests?

Yes, because the ten topics are also used to formulate the Reading and Listening materials. The Reading and Listening papers will additionally contain some quite specialised vocabulary, but the IELTS tests are carefully designed so that you should be able to get a high band even if you don’t know this more specialised language.

Topic 1: Work and careers

About Topic 1


The Work and careers topic includes issues of opportunities and problems at work, ways of motivating and rewarding workers, the work/life balance, changes in patterns of jobs and work (for example, the growth in working from home), career choices and training, and occasionally the relationship between government and businesses or industries.
You are not expected to know any vocabulary connected to specialised areas of finance, marketing and so on.


Topic 1 Example Task


Some employers offer their employees subsidised membership of gyms and sports clubs, believing that this will make their staff healthier and thus more effective at work. Other employers see no benefit in doing so.
Consider the arguments from both aspects of this possible debate, and reach a conclusion.


Explanation of the Task


This is an Opinion>Discussion type Task. You should introduce the topic, present two or three ideas on each side of the discussion, and then give your opinion in the conclusion.
If you are not already familiar with the different types of IELTS Academic Task 2 essay, please see the ‘Overview’ at the end of this book. It is essential to be familiar with these different essay types before you take the exam.
The following model essay shows you key words and phrases which you can use to increase your band score when discussing this topic, in both writing and speaking. The key words are highlighted in bold.


Band 9 model essay


Employers are always seeking ways to enhance their employees’ productivity, and subsidising healthy pursuits may be one way of achieving this. There are arguments on both sides, however, which we will discuss here.
On the one hand, it might be said that if workers are fitter and less stressed, their working time will be more efficient, leading to higher levels of output and service. Furthermore, the work/life balance of the staff will hopefully be improved, because their leisure time will be more fulfilling.
This may even be more motivating than pay increments, perks, or financial rewards such as bonuses or incentives which may be hard to attain. Finally, feeling healthier may lead to better job satisfaction which is in itself a motivating factor.
Conversely, the problem with such leisure-based subsidies is that their efficacy is virtually
impossible to quantify. For example, with target-related payments, employers can at least see whether the objectives are reached or not. It might also be said that, if this budget was spent on (for instance) on the job training or day release programmes, the employees would achieve better career progression and have better job prospects. These matters are all easier to measure, especially in performance reviews and appraisals, and may even help to reduce the risk of redundancy if the company restructures, downsizes or outsources its workforce.
Overall, it seems that, while health-related subsidies are superficially attractive, the lack of measurability is a substantial drawback. Spending funds on ongoing training would appear to be a better use of company or Human Resources budgets.

(259 words)

Explanation of the topic vocabulary and examples in Speaking


These words and phrases are listed in the order that they appear in the essay